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Chapter Fourteen

X hummed as the Jeep skimmed over the sands of the Desert. He saw a huge dune and a wicked grin came over his face.
Cain's eyes widened, "X..."
Zero smirked some, "Go for it, X!"
X put the Jeep into its fastest speed and it roared over the sands, spewing a dust cloud in its wake.
He yelled as it leapt over the dune and sailed into the air.
It felt like the Jeep hung there for a few moments, and X held his breath.
Then with a resounding bump it hit ground and kept on its breakneck pace.
Cain groaned, "Do you enjoy trying to kill a humble old man?"
X laughed.
Zero joined in X's laugh, "That was great! Do it again!"
X leaned back in his seat and spotted another dune, but Cain huffed, "No more from you X. You two can ride and dash about AFTER you drop me off!!"
X made a small moan like a child, "Awwww...But Dr. Cain..."
"Yes, Dr. Cain..." Zero joined in.
Cain rolled his eyes, "We're nearly there anyway, just get me out and go have your fun. These old bones can't take much more."
Zero laughed, "You need to lighten up, Doctor. Live a little."
Cain rolled his eyes, "I already have. And here's where I get off."
X pulled to a jerking stop and Cain jumped out, "Come back with all your limbs!"
As soon as Cain called this X took off again.
Zero reached back and held onto the headrest, "Why do I have a feeling that I'm not going to live to see my next mission?"
X leaned forward and ignored Zero's words.
He saw the Dune and floored the gas, "Oh stop worrying, Red. And by the way, what do you think of Iris, eh?"
"What?!" Zero's eyes went wide, from both the increased speed for jumping the dune and X's question. "She...seems alright.." he looked away from X and out across the sands.
X grinned, "Alright? Is that it? You can stop pretending, you know." X leaned to the left as he turned the car sharply and went off in another direction.
Zero tighten his grip to stay in his seat, "Pretending? I don't know what your talking about X. Iris seems like a nice girl. That's it, ok."
X shrugged, "As you wish." He started to singing quietly along with the thrumming music.
He looked up as a Jet screamed over head from the HQ. He whistled, "What I wouldn't give to be in the pilot seat of that bird..."
"Why? So you can come within an inch of crashing it into the base?" Zero asked with a smirk.
X gave another wide grin that showed his teeth, "You're no fun. Always gotta put a damper on things!"
Zero let out a laugh, "You just make it too easy, X."
X looked up over the Jeep's windshield and frowned, "Looks like we got company..."
Up ahead a ways were at least six or seven dust clouds, "Wonder who it is..."
Zero leaned to the side, sticking his head out over the door, "No clue. Maybe they're out for a little fun, like we are."
X was about to speak but cried instead, "WHOA!!" and ducked as energy shot broke through the windshield shot past his head.
"That's not cool!" he rubbed his cheek a bit and growled, "you wanna play!?"
Six Reploids on RideArmor Bikes pulled up to his side and tried to ram them.
X snarled and swerved, clipping one and knocking it end over end, "You hurt my Jeep and you pay Mavericks!!" X yelled.
Zero growled lightly and drew his sabre, slashing at the bike that was ramming the jeep on his side. "Take that!" he yelled as the bike's engine exploded and the Maverick spun out of control and crashed.
X yelped as a Maverick rammed into his side of the Jeep and tried to strike out at his face.
He watched the Maverick's hand miss and he bit down on his fingers, making him draw back with his own cry.
Zero jumped into the seat of the jeep, giving him access to both sides of the jeep. He moved to X's side, getting ready to slash at one of the bikes.
X felt at least two of the Mavericks hit the Jeep and it started to lean.
He cried out as it started to tilt, "Zero! Jump out!!"
Zero looked at X, then around and nodded. He climbed up onto the edge of the jeep and pushed off as hard as he could, rolling when he hit the sand.
X had little time to get out, and he went rolling head over heels across the sands.
He finally stopped, dazed and struggling to sit up in the sands.
The remaining two Maverick each went after one of them.
Zero was quickly back on his feet, sabre still in hand. He noticed the Maverick coming at him. Zero smirked and ran at the bike, jumping onto it. "Hello, Friend. You don't mind if I take this, do you? Good." he stabbed the Maverick and kicked it off the bike.
X groaned and looked up. He gasped and rolled away just in time to see the Maverick come straight at him.
Zero turned his new bike around and went after the one attacking X. "Maverick!" he yelled as he tried to catch up with it. He wanted to try and keep the bike in one piece.
X stood slowly, wincing as his leg seared for a moment, then aimed his buster at the Maverick. He took him out with one clear stop and the bike ground into a halt.
X sighed and sank back into the sand, still sore from his roll.
Zero smirked, "Guess he didn't need help after all." he nodded to himself. He drove over to X and skidded to a halt.
X looked up at Zero threw his broken shades and frowned, "Well there goes my Jeep..."
"Look on the bright side," Zero smirked, "We both got new bikes."
X stood and shook his head to clear it, "All I know is I'm in deep crap with Douglas..."
"Well, lets worry about after we get back." Zero turned his bike around, "Come on, lets get going."
X climbed onto the opposite bike and grinned, "Ten bucks says I can drive this better than you can, even with a splitting head ache!"
"Your on!" Zero smirked and took off into the desert, leaving a cloud of sand behind him.
X kept easy pace with him and looked at the controls, "Never drove one of these either...Oh! A dune!" he swerved off to jump it.
Zero glanced at the controls, "Hmm...I wonder what this button does..." he thought aloud as he pushed the button, igniting the thrusters, sending him flying forward and over a dune, "YAAAA-WHOOO!!" he cheered as he landed.
X sailed off the dune with his own boost, he yelled over the sound of his thrusters and actually lifted off the seat a bit, but surprisingly landed lightly and joined Zero again.
Zero glanced over at X, "These things are great! I wonder where those Mavericks picked them up?"
X shrugged as he leaned forward, "Who knows!? But I'm keeping this thing!!" Then he lifted one hand off the bars, "Hey look! One hand!! HA!"
Zero raised an eyebrow, then pointed ahead of X, "Dune." he said, "Careful."
X grinned, "So far I haven't seen a dune that I can't conker!" he zipped off to jump it.
Zero smirked and took a sharp turn, heading off to the Hunter HQ in the distance, "Too bad that was in the opposite direction of the base." he laughed to himself.
X noticed Zero take off towards the base, and shrugged, he was having more fun than he ever had in his whole life. He loved the wind that snapped at his face and the sound of the engine roaring in his ears. It was freedom. He jumped the dune with ease and turned back out towards the desert, determined to have a bit more fun.
Zero looked over his shoulder, and shrugged, "I'll go find him later. But all his sand has made me thirsty." he said to himself as he pulled up to the base.
X stayed out until it grew dark. He grew weary and finally turned his bike towards the base.
He entered the garage and stayed their a bit to park it and clean the bike.
He grinned to himself. He would tell Alia about the bike and maybe even she'd come for a ride with him. His face turned a content pink as he ran a cloth over the Bike's side.
Zero landed back in his seat in the cafe, he yawned as he placed his now empty mug on the table.
X left the garage and also headed towards the Cafe. He noticed Zero and flopped down in the booth opposite of him.
He half grinned at him, "Miss me?"
Zero jumped some, "Oh, Hi X. I was wondering when you were going to come back." he smirked, and stretched a bit.
X stifled a yawn, "Man, that Bike was great. They could really come in handy on missions. I didn't see Douglas, the guy who runs the Garage and invents and fixes things, so I'll tell him about them tomorrow."
Zero nodded, "Well, I guess you got off lucky today." he said, holding back his own yawn.
X stood again, "I don't know about you, but I feel dead on my feet. I'm going to retire for the night."
Zero nodded, "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. I think I'll even give my room a chance." he said and waved to X, "See you tomorrow, X."
X laughed slightly and waved back, "See ya." he walked out slowly and made his way to his room. All that on his mind were two words; Sleep, and Couch.
When he came to the door it opened automatically and he stepped in. He took off his helmet, tossed it onto the cot, then crashed on the couch.
He sprawled himself on it and with a sigh he was asleep in minutes.
Zero left a few minutes after X, stretching as he walked down the halls. He entered his room and collapsed on the cot, ...I wonder when I'll get to see Iris again.. he thought aloud to himself. He smiled and fell asleep.